Following a drop in public confidence in climate scientists as a result of the 'Climategate' emails, two hundred fifty-five members of the National Academy of Sciences have joined together to defend the rigor and objectivity of climate science.

Their signed statement, appearing  tomorrow in Science, explains the scientific research process and confirms the fundamental conclusions about climate change based on the work of thousands of scientists worldwide.

It specifically reaffirms "compelling, comprehensive, and consistent objective evidence that humans are changing the climate in ways that threaten our societies and the ecosystems on which we depend" and highlights that there is nothing identified in recent events that has changed the fundamental conclusions about climate change.

 Participating scientists reiterated that "[s]ociety has two choices: we can ignore the science and hide our heads in the sand and hope we are lucky, or we can act in the public interest to reduce the threat of global climate change quickly and substantively."

The statement also condemns recent political attacks on climate scientists and points out that most researchers were not engaged in the efforts to manipulate public perception of findings--only a few were.  

The statement contends that skeptics are unscientific or perhaps industry motivated and primarily driven by dogma.  

Citation: Gleick et al., 'Climate Change and the Integrity of Science', Science, May 2010 328, 689-690; doi: 10.1126/science.328.5979.689